Animals in ZoosPeople have always been interested in wild animals. Millions of people watch different documentary programmes, read books or magazines about animals, even go on safaris or whale-watching cruises. Others prefer to go to their local zoo to watch wild animals there. This interest in animals is not new. Zoos have existed since ancient times. For a long time the display of exotic animals was a sign of wealth and power. But isn’t it cruel to keep animals in captivity? What right do we have to decide if an animal should be free or not? These questions have been under discussion for a long time. There are several points in favour of keeping animals in zoos. First of all, zoos give people a chance to see animals from other parts of the world which they have never seen in the wild. Visiting a zoo can be very educational and informative: you can see what the animal looks like and learn about its behaviour. That is why zoos are extremely popular places for families with young children. Many schoolchildren visit zoos with their teachers to learn about nature and ecology there. Secondly, many endangered species are saved from extinction by being kept in zoos, where they are encouraged to breed. On the other hand, there are some negative aspects of keeping animals in zoos. Animals suffer there, because they are forced to live in a completely unnatural environment. In many zoos the conditions are not good: animals are kept in small areas or cages. Many of them need more space to move and run around. If they don’t get enough exercise, they are not healthy; they can get depressed or even stop eating. Moreover, living in captivity makes animals dependent on humans. As a result, they cannot be released back into the wild, because they wouldn’t be able to survive. To sum up, zoos can be much better places for wild animals to live as long as people provide animals with conditions close to their natural habitat, feed and look after them well. What is more, breeding animals in zoos can sometimes be the only way to prevent more species from becoming extinct.